314
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

Studying Confessions: A Confederate-Free, Cheating-Based Laboratory Research Paradigm

, JD, PhD, , MA, MPhil, , JD, PhD & , PhD

References

  • Alt, D., & Geiger, B. (2012). Goal orientations and tendency to neutralize academic cheating: An ecological perspective. Psychological Studies, 57(4), 404–416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-012-0161-y
  • Bain, S. A., Baxter, J. S., & Fellowes, V. (2004). Interacting influences on interrogative suggestibility. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 9(2), 239–252. https://doi.org/10.1348/1355325041719419
  • Beauregard, E., Deslauriers-Varin, N., & St-Yves, M. (2010). Interactions Between Factors Related to the Decision of Sex Offenders to Confess During Police Interrogation: A Classification-Tree Approach. Sexual Abuse, 22(3), 343–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063210370707
  • Colwell, L. H., Cruise, K. R., Guy, L. S., McCoy, W. K., Fernandez, K., & Ross, H. H. (2005). The influence of psychosocial maturity on male juvenile offenders’ comprehension and understanding of the Miranda warning. The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 33(4), 444–454.
  • Deslauriers‐varin, N., Lussier, P., & St‐yves, M. (2011). Confessing their crime: Factors influencing the offender’s decision to confess to the police. Justice Quarterly, 28(1), 113–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418820903218966
  • Douglass, M. D., Bain, S. A., Cooke, D. J., & McCarthy, P. (2019). The role of self-esteem and locus-of-control in determining confession outcomes. Personality and Individual Differences, 147, 292–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.05.006
  • Douglass, M. D., Hillyard, S., & Macklin, A. (2022). Sexual Offending: The impact of the juxtaposition between social constructions and evidence-based approaches. Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/24732850.2022.2054392
  • Drizin, S. A., & Leo, R. A. (2004). The problem of false confessions in the post-DNA world. North Carolina Law Review, 82(2), 891–1004.
  • Dror, I. E., & Charlton, D. (2006). Why experts make errors. Journal of Forensic Identification, 56(4), 600–616.
  • Faller, K. C., Birdsall, W. C., Henry, J., Vandervort, F., & Silverschanz, P. (2002). What makes sex offenders confess? An exploratory study. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 10(4), 31–49.
  • Forrest, K. D., Wadkins, T. A., & Larson, B. A. (2006). Suspect personality, police interrogations, and false confessions: Maybe it is not just the situation. Personality and Individual Differences, 40(3), 621–628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.09.002
  • Garrett, B. L. (2008). Judging innocence. Columbia Law Review, 108(1), 55–142.
  • Goldstein, N. E. S., Condie, L., Kalbeitzer, R., Osman, D., & Geier, J. (2003). Juvenile offenders’ Miranda rights comprehension and self-reported likelihood of offering false confessions. Assessment, 10(4), 359–369. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191103259535
  • Goldstein, A., & Goldstein, N. E. S. (2010). Evaluating capacity to waive Miranda rights. Oxford University Press.
  • Goldstein, N. E., Haney-Caron, E., Levick, M., & Whiteman, D. (2018). Waving good-bye to waiver: A developmental argument against youths’ waiver of Miranda rights. NYU Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, 21(1), 1–67.
  • Gudjonsson, G. H. (1997). The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales manual. Psychology Press.
  • Gudjonsson, G. H., Gonzalez, R., & Young, S. (2019). The risk of making false confessions: The role of developmental disorders, conduct disorder, psychiatric symptoms, and compliance. Journal of Attention Disorders, 25(5), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054719833169
  • Gudjonsson, G. H., & Sigurdsson, J. F. (1994). How frequently do false confessions occur? An empirical study among prison inmates. Psychology, Crime & Law, 1(1), 21–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10683169408411933
  • Gudjonsson, G. H., Sigurdsson, J. F., Bragason, O. O., Einarsson, E., & Valdimarsdottir, E. B. (2004). Confessions and denials and the relationship with personality. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 9(1), 121–133. https://doi.org/10.1348/135532504322776898
  • Gudjonsson, G. H., Sigurdsson, J. F., & Sigfusdottir, I. D. (2009). Interrogation and false confessions among adolescents in seven European countries: What background and psychological variables best discriminate between false confessors and non-false confessors? Psychology Crime and Law, 15(8), 711–728. https://doi.org/10.1080/10683160802516257
  • Gudjonsson, G. H., Sigurdsson, J. F., Sigfusdottir, I. D., Asgeirsdottir, B. B., González, R. A., & Young, S. (2016). A national epidemiological study investigating risk factors for police interrogation and false confession among juveniles and young persons. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology: The International Journal for Research in Social and Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health Services, 51(3), 359–367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1145-8
  • Guyll, M., Madon, S., Yang, Y., Lannin, D. G., Scherr, K., & Greathouse, S. (2013). Innocence and resisting confession during interrogation: Effects on physiologic activity. Law and Human Behavior, 37(5), 366–376. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000044
  • Haney-Caron, E. H. (2018). True and false confessions: Comparing self-reported likelihood of confession with actual confession behavior [ Doctoral dissertation, Drexel University]. Drexel University Libraries. https://drexel.esploro.exlibrisgroup.com/esploro/outputs/doctoral/True-and-False-Confessions-Comparing-Self-Reported/991014632069904721
  • Haney-Caron, E., Goldstein, N. E., & Mesiarik, C. (2018). Self-perceived likelihood of false confession: A comparison of justice-involved juveniles and adults. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 45(12), 1955–1976. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854818799806
  • Henkel, L. A. (2008). Jurors’ reactions to recanted confessions: Do the defendant’s personal and dispositional characteristics play a role? Psychology, Crime & Law, 14(6), 565–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/10683160801995247
  • Home Office. (2020). Interviewing suspects, version 7.0. United Kingdom Home Office. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/864940/interviewing-suspects-v7.0.pdf
  • Horgan, A. J., Russano, M. B., Meissner, C. A., & Evans, J. R. (2012). Minimization and maximization techniques: Assessing the perceived consequences of confessing and confession diagnosticity. Psychology, Crime & Law, 18(1), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2011.561801
  • Horselenberg, R., Merckelbach, H., Smeets, T., Franssens, D., Ygram Peters, G. J., & Zeles, G. (2006). False confessions in the lab: Do plausibility and consequences matter? Psychology, Crime & Law, 12(1), 61–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068310042000303076
  • Inbau, F., Reid, J., Buckley, J., & Jayne, B. (2011). Criminal interrogation and confessions. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
  • Kassin, S. M. (2005). On the psychology of confessions: Does innocence put innocents at risk? The American Psychologist, 60(3), 215–228. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.3.215
  • Kassin, S. M. (2008). Confession evidence: Commonsense myths and misconceptions. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(10), 1309–1322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854808321557
  • Kassin, S. M. (2017). False confessions: How can psychology so basic be so counterintuitive? The American Psychologist, 72(9), 951–964. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000195
  • Kassin, S. M., Appleby, S. C., & Perillo, J. T. (2010). Interviewing suspects: Practice, science, and future directions. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 15(1), 39–55. https://doi.org/10.1348/135532509X449361
  • Kassin, S. M., Drizin, S. A., Grisso, T., Gudjonsson, G. H., Leo, R. A., & Redlich, A. D. (2010). Police-induced confessions: Risk factors and recommendations. Law and Human Behavior, 34(1), 3–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-009-9188-6
  • Kassin, S. M., Dror, I. E., & Kukucka, J. (2013). The forensic confirmation bias: Problems, perspectives, and proposed solutions. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 2(1), 42–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2013.01.001
  • Kassin, S. M., Goldstein, C. C., & Savitsky, K. (2003). Behavioral confirmation in the interrogation room: On the dangers of presuming guilt. Law and Human Behavior, 27(2), 187–203. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022599230598
  • Kassin, S. M., & Gudjonsson, G. H. (2004). The psychology of confessions: A review of the literature and issues. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 5(2), 33–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-1006.2004.00016.x
  • Kassin, S. M., & Kiechel, K. L. (1996). The social psychology of false confessions: Compliance, internalization, and confabulation. Psychological Science, 7(3), 125–128. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1996.tb00344.x
  • Kassin, S. M., Leo, R. A., Meissner, C. A., Richman, K. D., Colwell, L. H., Leach, A. M., & La Fon, D. (2007). Police interviewing and interrogation: A self-report survey of police practices and beliefs. Law and Human Behavior, 31(4), 381–400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-006-9073-5
  • Kassin, S. M., & Neumann, K. (1997). On the power of confession evidence: An experimental test of the fundamental difference hypothesis. Law and Human Behavior, 21(5), 469–484. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024871622490
  • Kassin, S. M., & Norwick, R. J. (2004). Why People Waive Their Miranda Rights: The Power of Innocence. Law and Human Behavior, 28(2), 211–221. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:LAHU.0000022323.74584.f5
  • Klaver, J. R., Lee, Z., & Rose, V. G. (2008). Effects of personality, interrogation techniques and plausibility in an experimental false confession paradigm. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 13(1), 71–88. https://doi.org/10.1348/135532507X193051
  • Leo, R. A. (1996). Inside the interrogation room. The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 86(2), 266–303. https://doi.org/10.2307/1144028
  • Madon, S., Guyll, M., Scherr, K. C., Greathouse, S., & Wells, G. L. (2012). Temporal discounting: The differential effect of proximal and distal consequences on confession decisions. Law and Human Behavior, 36(1), 13–20. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093962
  • McCabe, D. L., & Trevino, L. K. (1997). Individual and contextual influences on academic dishonesty: A multicampus investigation. Research in Higher Education, 38(3), 379–396. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024954224675
  • McCabe, D. L., Treviño, L. K., & Butterfield, K. D. (2001). Cheating in academic institutions: A decade of research. Ethics & Behavior, 11(3), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327019EB1103_2
  • Meissner, C. A., & Kassin, S. M. (2004). You’re guilty, so just confess! In G. D. Lassiter (Ed.), Interrogations, confessions, and entrapment (pp. 85–106). Kluwer Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-38598-3_4
  • Meissner, C., Redlich, A., Bhatt, S., & Brandon, S. (2012). Interview and interrogation methods and their effects on investigative outcomes. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1–49. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2012.13
  • Meissner, C. A., Redlich, A. D., Michael, S. W., Evans, J. R., Camilletti, C. R., Bhatt, S., & Brandon, S. (2014). Accusatorial and information-gathering interrogation methods and their effects on true and false confessions: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 10(4), 459–486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-014-9207-6
  • Meissner, C. A., Russano, M. B., & Narchet, F. M. (2010). The importance of a laboratory science for improving the diagnostic value of confession evidence. In G. D. Lassiter & C. A. Meissner (Eds.), Police interrogations and false confessions: Current research, practice, and policy recommendations (pp. 111–126). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/12085-007
  • Miller, J. C., Redlich, A. D., & Kelly, C. E. (2018). Accusatorial and information-gathering interview and interrogation methods: A multi-country comparison. Psychology, Crime & Law, 24(9), 935–956. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2018.1467909
  • Moore, T. E., & Fitzsimmons, C. L. (2011). Justice imperiled: False confessions and the Reid technique. Criminal Law Quarterly, 57(4), 509–542.
  • Narchet, F. M., Meissner, C. A., & Russano, M. B. (2011). Modeling the influence of investigator bias on the elicitation of true and false confessions. Law and Human Behavior, 35(6), 452–465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-010-9257-x
  • Nash, R. A., & Wade, K. A. (2009). Innocent but proven guilty: Eliciting internalized false confessions using doctored‐video evidence. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23(5), 624–637. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1500
  • The National Registry of Exonerations. (2020). False Confession. Table: Age and mental status of exonerated defendants who falsely confess. Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/False-Confessions.aspx
  • Otgaar, H., Schell‐leugers, J. M., Howe, M. L., De La Fuente Vilar, A., Houben, S. T., & Merckelbach, H. (2021). The link between suggestibility, compliance, and false confessions: A review using experimental and field studies. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3788
  • Perillo, J. T., & Kassin, S. M. (2011). Inside interrogation: The lie, the bluff, and false confessions. Law and Human Behavior, 35(4), 327–337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-010-9244-2
  • Rassin, E., & Israels, H. (2014). False confessions in the lab: A review. Erasmus Law Review, 7, 219–224. https://doi.org/10.5553/ELR.000019
  • Redlich, A. D. (1999). False confessions: The influence of age, suggestibility, and maturity [ Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of California.
  • Redlich, A. D., & Goodman, G. S. (2003). Taking responsibility for an act not committed: The influence of age and suggestibility. Law and Human Behavior, 27(2), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022543012851
  • Redlich, A. D., Summers, A., & Hoover, S. (2010). Self-reported false confessions and false guilty pleas among offenders with mental illness. Law and Human Behavior, 34(1), 79–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-009-9194-8
  • Ruedy, N. E., & Schweitzer, M. E. (2010). In the moment: The effect of mindfulness on ethical decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 95(S1), 73–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0796-y
  • Russano, M. B., Meissner, C. A., Narchet, F. M., & Kassin, S. M. (2005). Investigating true and false confessions within a novel experimental paradigm. Psychological Science, 16(6), 481–486. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.01560.x
  • Schatz, S. J. (2018). Interrogated with intellectual disabilities: The risks of false confession. Stanford Law Review, 70(2), 643–690.
  • Stewart, J. M., Woody, W. D., & Pulos, S. (2018). The prevalence of false confessions in experimental laboratory simulations: A meta‐analysis. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 36(1), 12–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2327
  • Strathman, A., Gleicher, F., Boninger, D. S., & Edwards, C. S. (1994). The consideration of future consequences: Weighing immediate and distant outcomes of behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(4), 742–752. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.66.4.742
  • Wechsler, D. (2011). Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence–Second Edition Manual. Pearson.
  • Yang, Y., Madon, S., & Guyll, M. (2015). Short-sighted confession decisions: The role of uncertain and delayed consequences. Law and Human Behavior, 39(1), 44–52. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000100

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.